Comments on: Self publishing costs nothing http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/ Writing, Self-Publishing, Print-on-Demand, Internet Sales and Marketing...for your book Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:44:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: How To Publish Your Book On The iPad | The Creative Penn http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-6196 How To Publish Your Book On The iPad | The Creative Penn Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:20:42 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-6196 [...] Price: $2399 upwards (not for the faint-hearted!). I am mentioning this because I want to include the many ways you can get on the iPad but as I have posted before, self publishing should cost you nothing. [...] [...] Price: $2399 upwards (not for the faint-hearted!). I am mentioning this because I want to include the many ways you can get on the iPad but as I have posted before, self publishing should cost you nothing. [...]

]]> By: Digest for 04/10/09 | doyce testerman http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-317 Digest for 04/10/09 | doyce testerman Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:07:16 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-317 [...] Self publishing costs nothing | The Creative PennA good analysis, though it doesn’t go into CreateSpace very much. [...] [...] Self publishing costs nothing | The Creative PennA good analysis, though it doesn’t go into CreateSpace very much. [...]

]]> By: David B. Schlosser http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-306 David B. Schlosser Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:47:29 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-306 Respectfully & enthusiastically disagree with $0. Time = Money. I tell prospective clients for editing services, "You must edit your manuscript - you can pay someone to do it, or you can do it yourself, or you can ask someone with skill to do it for you - any option will cost you something." My goal as an editor is to get the writer to do as much polishing as possible at the lowest possible cost (example: MS Word spell check, grammar check, low-cost aids like , friends (as you note), or literature students at the local college). That way, if the writer decides to engage a professional editor or proofreader, s/he gets the greatest value added at the lowest possible cash expenditure. Respectfully & enthusiastically disagree with $0. Time = Money. I tell prospective clients for editing services, “You must edit your manuscript – you can pay someone to do it, or you can do it yourself, or you can ask someone with skill to do it for you – any option will cost you something.”

My goal as an editor is to get the writer to do as much polishing as possible at the lowest possible cost (example: MS Word spell check, grammar check, low-cost aids like , friends (as you note), or literature students at the local college).

That way, if the writer decides to engage a professional editor or proofreader, s/he gets the greatest value added at the lowest possible cash expenditure.

]]> By: admin http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-223 admin Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:50:59 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-223 Hi Shannon, Thanks for your comment. As a non-US publisher, I cannot use the Published by You option. Hence the need to publish by Lulu. I also just checked my book on Amazon and it doesn't say "out of print". It says in Stock. Perhaps that was just a temporary issue (which I did read about!) There are definitely a lot of restrictions being a non-US publisher! Thanks for your useful comment! Joanna Hi Shannon, Thanks for your comment. As a non-US publisher, I cannot use the Published by You option. Hence the need to publish by Lulu.
I also just checked my book on Amazon and it doesn’t say “out of print”. It says in Stock. Perhaps that was just a temporary issue (which I did read about!)

There are definitely a lot of restrictions being a non-US publisher!
Thanks for your useful comment! Joanna

]]> By: Declan Stanley http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-222 Declan Stanley Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:07:30 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-222 Another option is CreateSpace.com. Like Lulu.com they are a POD company, but you get cheaper costs per book than Lulu and an automatic listing on amazon.com. Many people who buy books on-line will already be an amazon.com customer and so be more likely to buy your book there than anywhere else. However, as you say, no matter which way you choose, and even with a traditional publishing deal, it is up to you(the author) to market and sell your book. Another option is CreateSpace.com. Like Lulu.com they are a POD company, but you get cheaper costs per book than Lulu and an automatic listing on amazon.com.
Many people who buy books on-line will already be an amazon.com customer and so be more likely to buy your book there than anywhere else.
However, as you say, no matter which way you choose, and even with a traditional publishing deal, it is up to you(the author) to market and sell your book.

]]> By: Shannon Yarbrough http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-221 Shannon Yarbrough Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:33:51 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-221 Hi Joanna- The "free" option through Lulu just to get your book on Amazon is not the best option. Yes, it gets you an ISBN at no cost, which is good. Yes, your book will load to Amazon, but it will be listed as "out of print." Some believe this may be because Lulu.com is listed as the publisher, and may have something to do with the whole Amazon/POD/Booksurge mess that happened last year. Lulu isn't saying. However, paying for the "published by you" option on Lulu does NOT have the same effect. I used this option myself last year, chose a name of my own, and my book is showing as available on Amazon still today. Best wishes, Shannon Yarbrough www.lulubookreview.com Hi Joanna-

The “free” option through Lulu just to get your book on Amazon is not the best option. Yes, it gets you an ISBN at no cost, which is good. Yes, your book will load to Amazon, but it will be listed as “out of print.” Some believe this may be because Lulu.com is listed as the publisher, and may have something to do with the whole Amazon/POD/Booksurge mess that happened last year. Lulu isn’t saying. However, paying for the “published by you” option on Lulu does NOT have the same effect. I used this option myself last year, chose a name of my own, and my book is showing as available on Amazon still today.

Best wishes,
Shannon Yarbrough
http://www.lulubookreview.com

]]> By: Pace http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/03/21/self-publishing-costs-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-220 Pace Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:37:05 +0000 http://www.thecreativepenn.com/?p=1374#comment-220 Another option is to hire friends to help with editing, design, and other services and pay them with a slice of the profits. When Kyeli and I self-published our book, we worked out a deal like that with our illustrator (and a vaguely similar one with our book designer and cover designer), and it's working out well! Another option is to hire friends to help with editing, design, and other services and pay them with a slice of the profits.

When Kyeli and I self-published our book, we worked out a deal like that with our illustrator (and a vaguely similar one with our book designer and cover designer), and it’s working out well!

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